


The Vixen Within

by 29PheonixLement



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Animal Transformation, F/F, Mutual Pining, Rated for future chapters, for the moment this is pre Curious Archer canon relationship, pre seventh season curse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:08:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28086708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/29PheonixLement/pseuds/29PheonixLement
Summary: It had meant to be a goof, something silly to pass the time. A small potion she’s bought in town that allegedly changed someone into their inner animal for at least three full days and with her mother and aunt away and Alice off on one of her side jobs for The Dark One Robin’s only thought was ‘what’s the harm?’
Relationships: Alice Jones | Tilly/Robin | Margot
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

Her heart was nearly beating out of her chest as she ducked and dodged around fallen trees hearing sounds of hunting boots on the earthy ground coming far too close for her liking as she forces herself to stop before her new body simply collapses from the stress of the chase.

“Come on Clay maybe we should give—” one of her pressures pants when the hunters paused as well almost as out of breath as the huntress hidden away in the underbrush.

“Did you not see that pelt?”

“I saw, it was tawny same as any other coyote in these woods.”

“Golden.” The first hunter snarled in correction. “and it was a fox, not a cyot.”

Robin hissed under her breath her tail thrashing behind her almost giving herself away when it kicked up loose dead leaves making them crunch together the lower, she pressed herself into the ground.

As soon as she’d gotten a feel for her temporary form running a few laps around the confines of the farmhouse she’d decided to venture wider into the surrounding woods.

After all, everyone who had any sense knew the farm and the surrounding woods belonged to the one and only Wicked Witch of the West and despite not having her more of less signature green skin anymore Zelena Mills was still feared more than she was loved by the residence of the New Enchanted Forest.

So, Robin hadn’t been the least bit worried as she’d stopped beside a freshwater stream needing a drink before returning to testing her new forms abilities. From the insight from the potion’s label, she’d drunk before heading out the temporary time span after gaining it the physical limits of her animal form would be an unpredictable mixture of her human stamina, strength, what have you, and that of the original traits of the animal the drinker ended up as.

In Robin’s case, a vixen who as those poachers had already noticed after spotting the animal formed archer was the size of a normal coyote. Her pelt having ended up mirroring the coppery golden tones of her human hair color.

Hints the reason for Robin’s predicament of the hunter now being the hunted.

“You do realize where we are. This is the witch’s lands.” One of the two poachers whispered his gaze casting around as if expecting said witch to jump out at any moment.

“Aye but I also know the so-called Witch doesn’t have her magic anymore.” The hunter Robin had heard was called Clay respond as his eyes remained trained on the ground looking for her tracks. “and whatever that golden pelted creature she’s keeping all for herself is going to make me rich just as soon as I catch the damned thing.”

Robin grins to herself as she listened. Obviously, her mother had allowed the untruth to continue to spread about her lack of magical abilities.

Oh, how wrong they were. If only her mother was around now to prove just how wrong, they were about her lack of magic.

“Oh, so once again I’m cut out of this newest get rich quick plans of yours?” the second hunter grumbled “and you’ve been saying you’d catch that female since we spotted it and so far, it’s clever enough to avoid every one of your snares.” The second man companion reminded making Robin inwardly puff out her chest in pride.

Those ‘snares’ he’d mentioned shouldn’t have even been awarded the title considering how poorly set they’d been. For a trained eye like Robin’s as well as for any real predator that called the wood home, it was almost a joke to trip them and not get caught.

“Shut up.” Clay barked still kneeling to inspect the ground. The animal was close of that he was positive and witch’s pet or no he was going to catch the beast for himself.

“Circle back toward the stream.” Clay orders making the listening archer’s stomach twist uneasily when she sees his eyes linger just a little over her fur-covered shoulder before he rises brushing the dirt and dead leaves from the knees of his pants. “Maybe that one missed our traps, but the other game in these woods sure didn’t.”

 _They were giving up_. Robin reasons still on guard as the pair retreated. Too easy. After all, there had been a third in this little hunting party when the chase had started.

Robin didn’t move and hardly dared to breathe as the pair’s footfalls crunched away back the way they’d chased her from.

She had to be extra careful now. She was at the very edge of her family’s clamed lands. More toward one of the lesser-known yet heavily traveled roadways between the villages and the marketplace. Her ears twitching this way and that catching every bit of sound they could as Robin scented the air cautions as she slips out of her underbrush hiding place.

The winds shifted then carrying with it a scent that animal or human Robin would know anywhere.

A tantalizing mixture of the earthy musk of the forest mostly the smoky pine of a cottage hideaway, spiced vanilla, and sea air flavor all wrapped in the zesty bit of orange citrus that always seems to cling to her skin.

_Alice._

Robin’s current vixen body was now vibrating in excitement after she pulls in another confirming breath of her not-so-secret crushes unique flavor on the winds. Her earlier worries melted away as Robin lost herself in the moment making several joyous leaps and twists in the air letting out more than a few excited yips and barks into the afternoon air expressing her more human happiness at the realm jumper’s safe return before she hurries into the wood in order to meet the returning blonde.

After all, even in her current animal form, Robin knew Nook would be furious if he found she hadn’t at least walk Alice home after her long journey on another of the Dark One’s errands.

“There you are.”

The growl of the voice was enough to make Robin stumble sending her fur-covered body tumbling over itself as the voice’s owner steps out from behind the wide trunk of a nearby oak tree.

“That pelt of yours is worth far more than taking you alive could ever fetch me.” The dark-haired huntress decides after a short pause as she studies the panting animal as Robin lets out a screeching yelp of pain when in her panicked scramble for stability with four limbs instead of two her front right leg catches in one of the earlier set traps causing the thing to snap closed breaking her leg (when she became human again her bow arm) with a sickening crunch of fur and bone.

“Oh, shut up.” The grey-eyed huntress scoffs making Robin’s already pain-filled mind spin even more as her already unsteady body was kicked more toward the roadway and away from the protective cover of the forest.

The resulting struggle that follows becoming a traded mix of snarls and curses that along with a broken leg (arm) earned Robin some deep painfilled slashes from a concealed blade the huntress had been armed with whilst the equally motivated human gains more than a few bites and scratches to her face and arms for her efforts before she manages to effectively pin the current fox embodied archer onto the frost dusted ground.

The wind blows harder this time carrying another wave of citrus and vanilla spiced sea air.

_Alice._

She closer this time so close in fact that Robin could swear she tasted each part of Alice’s unique flavor on her tongue and yet she was never going to be able to see _‘_ Alice from Wonderland and other places’ ever again. _Sweet Oz, I wished I hadn’t been such a coward and really told you how much I love you when I had the chance._ Robin regrets as her eyes close her more animal body too beaten down to continue fighting as a much larger hunting blade slashes down toward the soft fur of her forcefully exposed underbelly.

The heavy clang of something metal (a small frying pan maybe? Robin knew firsthand that Alice at least always carried some kind of unconventional weapon with her wherever she goes) colliding hard with the soft flesh of the side of a skull.

The blow was enough to knock the would-be killer unconscious but not enough to kill as Robin staggers up onto three good legs as the huntress’s body crumples to one side.

“Easy does it.” A familiar tone coaxes while the dazed fox snaps her jaws in warning when a yellow-haired blurred something reaches out toward her. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

Robin snarls again but that soon turns into a pained whine when she accidentally sets her broken leg back down on the ground for balance. “You’re hurt.” Her require notices as if the blood matting Robin’s pelt and muzzle didn’t already give that away while Robin gingerly picks her leg back up trying to get her other three tired limbs to support the rest of her weight.

“Come on it’s not safe here.” The blur that sounded and smelled like Alice says easily sweeping the dizzy coyote-sized fox into her arms as the sounds of running boots drew closer.

The woman’s other hunter friends were coming to her aid.

“I won’t let them harm you again.” Alice murmurs same times Robin loses the battle with her drooping eyelids as the last of her adrenalin leaves her system.

*****

The soft crackling of a fire is the first thing she notices as Robin rouses from her nap. Second being the citrus, ocean breeze, and spiced vanilla pine scent of her adventure-seeking chess game-loving crush that seemed to be coated on everything around her. A second even deeper breath brought new scents.

A bland coppery scent Robin guesses were water, the sweet tang of freshly picked berries, the mouth-watering scent of cooked meat (rabbit Robin recognized), and the mild scent of some kind of homemade cheese.

Cracking her eyes open Robin found that Alice always the animal lover had not only bandaged the knife wounds littering Robin’s fur-covered body but had braced and wrapped her leg and had also left a small cash of food and a small dish of water well within reach of what she’d considered a larger than normal fox she’d left sleeping in a nest of blankets close to the warmth of the low burning fire.

“I know taking in a strange animal is dangerous Mr. Rabbit, but I couldn’t just let that woman kill her.” Alice defends over the steady sounds of a knife against a cutting board making the waking vixen guess that Alice was in the middle of making up her own lunch or possibly an early supper.

Robin’s fur-covered head lifts slowly blinking the last of the sleep from her eyes as she takes in the sight unfolding in the small kitchen. As she’d predicted Alice’s well cared for toy rabbit was sitting in a place of honor on the counter while Alice worked a few paces away. “I mean I did just get back so for all I know Robin has gotten a new pet or something given how close the poor vixen was to her and Zelena’s farm.”

“Huh?” Robin’s head tilted the same time Alice’s had as if the more human of the two were listening to something the toy rabbit was saying. The former feeling her heat both break and warm at the small window she was gifted of what life must have been like for her crush in those first six thousand plus days trapped in her tower.

“Oh no I didn’t, but before you start yes I was going to really tell her this time but then I saw what that vile woman was going to do to that poor fox over there I just---oh what is it Robin says.” Again, the fox’s ears perked up at the sound of her name while Alice pauses tapping the fingers of her free hand against the countertop as she tries to remember. “Something about seeing red?”

Alice soon shakes her head as she turns her attention to something, she’d left simmering on the cottage’s small stove. Some kind of heavy broth going by the scent Robin guesses after a quick sniff of the air.

Robin’s stomach rumbles with hunger the longer she scents the air pulling out each ingredient of the cooking meal still being created a few paces away. Rabbit and chicken meats, carrots, potatoes and-- Robin gives another deep pull of the cabin scent trying to pinpoint just what vegetable Alice was thinking of added.

“And I have a feeling this isn’t an ordinary fox.” Alice’s voice cut in as she turns around still talking with the toy rabbit sitting on the edge of one of the kitchen’s built-in cabinet shelves keeping the bunny out of harm's way of the food preparations on the counter below. “I mean I might not be able to sense magic like Nobin, but I know enough about it to know that this fox has some kind of magic around it.”

Robin’s ears twitch at the sound of her own name while Alice finishes off the string bean, she was chewing on tossing the others she’d been cutting up into the cooking mixture on the stove.

The eavesdropping vixen only hoped Alice wouldn’t end up cutting hersel—

“Mother Wonder—”

The rusty iron bite of blood tainted the tantalizing flavor of food on air making Robin recoil into the soft nest of blankets Alice had laid her in after returning to the cottage the realm traveler called home. Her muzzle now buried against the side breathing in the unspoiled scent Robin wanted to forever imprint on her mind as Alice’s.

“Not even here and you’re still distracting me, Nobin.” Alice chuckled not bothered at all by the slice to her hand she wrapped the wound in a strip of cloth a wistful smile on her lips as her glassy gaze remains fixed on some spot outside the window of the small cottage’s kitchen while Robin struggled to her feet to at least go check on the spaced-out blonde only to fall back with a pained whine.

The sound draws Alice’s attention at once “Hello there.” the ocean tide and orange blossom scented woman smiles finishing off by fastening the makeshift bandaged around her palm. Again, Robin tried to stand but this time it’s Alice’s gentle touch against her side that stopped her crossing the room in a few quick strides.

Robin staring in surprise at the touch causing Alice to quickly drop her hand earning a fox-like pout from the archer. Alice doesn’t catch the look as she goes about fussing over the blankets lining Robin’s makeshift bed instead.

“You’re not well enough for anything but rest and recovery young one.” The blue-eyed blonde tells her folding herself down a respectful distance against the small nest of blankets. Too far for Robin’s liking but she couldn’t exactly tell the other woman as much. “You had quite the adventure today and I’m not about to let you go out in your condition.” A low rumble that should have been laughter built-in Robin’s chest at the once sided standoff Alice seemed to be having with her. “I know it’s a little scary waking up in a strange place, but I promise no one will hurt you.” Alice suggests pushing the small offering of food and water a little closer.

The rumble of her stomach pausing Robin’s attempts to communicate with the woman she had more than a passing crush on. “Thought so.” Alice sighs when Robin’s ears flattened against her head, and her small tongue flicked out to wet her lips. “Thirsty are we.” Alice chuckled after seeing just how quickly her new house guest empties the water dish she’d set out.

The fox looking rather bashful as it lifts its head to meet her gaze licking its lips to catch the last drops of water. “I’ll get some more alright?” Alice offers “and you start in on those.” The realm jumper coaxes when the fox’s stomach gave yet another rather human-like grumble. She chuckled at the guilty expression on the vixen’s face as it noses over a few choices before settling on one of the cubed bits of rabbit meat Alice had provided.

Robin lets out a soft whine when after she’d finished the small bite of meat Alice reaches for the empty dish with her injured hand.

The cut must have been at least a little deep for the blood to have seeped past both layers of the cloth Alice had used as a bandage. The rusty iron of blood tickling Robin’s heightened noise but she pushed past the stomach-turning scent to nuzzle her cheek against the wound.

“I’ve had worse.” Alice waves off taking a chance in having her fingers tangle in the soft scruff behind the fox’s ear. To her surprise given how skittish it seemed moments before the animal didn’t move away. If anything, it nuzzled even closer against her hand. “and this wasn’t from helping you. I’m just hapless in the kitchen when thinking about a pretty girl while I should be worrying about cutting up the rest of supper.”

Robin’s eyes lifted her heart picking up speed just a little at the unintentional confession.

 _Alice think’s I’m pretty?_ The more human part of her mind hardly dared believe it whilst her ears swivel around toward the kitchen making Alice giggle even louder as she once again scratched the animal behind the ear. “Don’t worry little love, the house isn’t going to burn down or anything horrible like that. I have a good friend who takes care of any security needs for me. Including charms around the stove to prevent house fires.”

Robin guesses she was talking about the Dark One. Even in her current animal form, she could still sense his magic humming low under Alice’s own curious abilities. If anything, her animal self was even more noticeable of magic than her human one.

Although she had currently only encountered four magic users since turning herself into a fox Robin had learned that each magic caster left a rather distinct signature behind.

A flavor on the air.

An interesting find once Robin had ventured out to see more of the world with her new eyes and finding the different places either Regina or Zelena had used magic around the property.

Her aunt Regina carried a softer ripened hay fields scent with her magic. Her mother a much more bitter tang like biting into a tart green-skinned apple the humor not lost on the woman’s fox embodied daughter. Rumpelstiltskin’s flavor was an interesting mix of wood varnish, straw, and iron.

It was the constant mix of blood that kept Robin’s more animal tendencies on alert and her nose pressed into the much more comforting citrus and wildflower scent Alice’s magic carried. Whether is was that Alice’s magic was much more entuned with the earth or a holdover from her more human feelings for the adventure-loving artiest Robin was glade her vixen form was warming to Alice’s closeness as she polishes off each bite of the offered meal.

“I’ll get you a little more alright?” Alice offers blinking out of her quiet daze when she notices the now empty bowl making to stand up from her current cross-legged position beside Robin’s nest of blankets. “Papa always said it’s rude for a host to eat in front of company and not offer anything.” She explains at the more human than animal raised eyebrow glance the fox gave with only the slightest bit of unsteadiness in her legs from sitting so long in one position.

“If it’s alright with you I’ll give you a bath in the morning. Clean you up a bit while you heal up.” Alice says as she crosses back into the kitchen. “I did clean your cuts, but it was only to prevent infection.”

The mention of cuts drew Robin’s eyes toward the still untended knife wound Alice had given herself earlier. “What?” the clever blonde questions seeing the uneasy change in the set of the larger animal’s shoulders and the way its ears flattened in fear against its head.

Robin tried to mime as best she could her worry over Alice’s sliced hand by nudging her own bandaged paw with her nose then looked back toward the curious gaze of the woman she was sure she was falling for.

“Are your wrappings too tight?” Alice worried but Robin shakes her head trying her mime act a second time this time with a little more urgency.

Again she could see Alice wasn’t catching on making her huff in frustration a move that quickly resulted in her tail puffing out with the rest of her heckles following suite as if she’d stuck her uninjured paw in a light socket as her tail thrashed up and down like tapping impatient fingers tapping against a stable surface. The fluffed-out fur ticking Robin’s nose on ever flicked pass.

“Why are you upset?” Alice presses at a loss at the sudden mood change as she finishes setting of two warmed bowls of chicken and rabbit stew.

She had thought about leaving the few scraped rabbit bits for the recovering larger than average sized fox curled up in a nest of some of her warmer blankets but after some thought, Alice had decided against it both not knowing just how steady the animal’s stomach would be when she woke up and not wanting the poor butchered bunny to go to waste after she broke the preserving charm Regina had taught her for storing away food during colder months.

Before Robin could figure out a way, she could remain curled up in her comfortable space and still get Alice to tend to her injury a hurried shout sounded from outside.

Immediately Robin’s heckles rose while Alice’s hand moved toward one of the heavier cast iron pans conveniently hanging near the door when the call sounded again closer this time.

“Alice? Alice, dear it’s--”

The door was thrown open before the worried mother could finish her unorthodox greeting “Zelena what’s wrong?” Alice probes ushering her newest guest inside while Zelena’s vixen embodied daughter tried her best to hide away in the blanket pial beside the low embers of the burnt-out fire.

The last thing Robin needed was for her Mother to scold her for using magic in front of her crush like she had when Robin was going through her more mean girl rebellious phase in her high school years.

“Well for one thing I almost couldn’t find your house.” Zelena confessed taking the first available seat at the food ladened table.

“Rumplestiltskin put up some stronger wards around the place so only those I deem trustworthy can come within a certain range.” Alice remembered before a glance on the kitchen window showed it was already after twilight hours.

“I know, I know like a Dark One version of a fidelius charm.” Zelena nodes then smiles a little to herself at Alice’s puzzled expression. “Mostly this is the first time I’ve tried to come here at night seeing as unless your opinion of me has changed since our last meeting I was on the select few granted immediate crossing privileges.”

Zelena couldn’t stop the sly grin once she remembered how Henry was still sulking about not making said list when herself, Robin, Nook, the Imp, Ella, Lucy, Tiana, and Regina had all been given permission to visit whenever they pleased.

“Honestly, he’s becoming worse than Papa thinking I can’t take care of myself out here.” Alice huffed “Hang on a Dark One what charm?” She’d herd Robin use that term too but hadn’t been able to ask what it meant before the archer had been called away.

“He worries for you.” Zelena corrects purposefully avoiding Alice’s question “and we all know you’re more than capable Alice but that doesn’t mean we can’t worry from time to time.” Alice bites her lip to hide her smile at the motherly tone. “Oh—I didn’t realize you had company over.”

Alice shakes her head as she like Zelena looks toward the second of the two bowls of freshly ladled stew sitting untouched on the table between them. “Like I said Rumple set new wards. I knew you were coming.” The realm jumper covers setting a kettle of water over the stove to boil for tea, but Zelena can see her gaze cast ever so quickly toward something in the connected living room.

“I could have been an enemy.” Zelena tosses back breathing a little sigh of relief when her worried fears for her missing daughter were put to rest.

Alice shrugs with a cool toss of her hair over one shoulder that any other time would have Robin drooling to witness. Alright, maybe even as a fox she was drooling a little right now in the sliver of the scene she could make out from her burrowed place beside the fireside, but her nerves of being discovered overshadowed her more human attraction to the blonde standing toe to toe with her kindhearted yet intimidating mother.

“Like you said only a slim few know how to find me.” Alice answers tugging down her assortment of teas as the kettle heated up.

“By the way how is my daughter? She wasn’t home when Regina and I got there.” Zelena throws back selecting one of the richer kinds of the herbal variety with a grateful grin.

Robin’s ear swiveled more toward the kitchen. Alice’s heart rate had picked up during the course of the mini interrogation but now it seemed to be beating triple time. Had she missed something?

“Robin?”

The vixen feels a full-body shiver of pleasure race up and down her back at the whispered sound of her name, “I haven’t seen her yet. I was on my way over after I got back early this morning but then I got a little---sidetracked.”

Robin does her best to hide the start of fox-like laughter at the understatement. _Oh, Alice if you only knew._

“You mean she’s not here?” The worry was back as Zelena’s eyes scanned Alice’s hoping that the blonde was being at the very least playfully deceptive as she goes about fixing up two cups of tea.

Alice shakes her head in denial earning an even harder to fight down round of animal giggling from the mess of blankets in the sitting room. “If she isn’t at the farm or at her practice range maybe she went to visit with Rol--.” Zelena was already denying that suggestion before Alice could finish making it.

“’Ginna already used mirror magic to check with him after we talking with your father about Robin possibly hanging around the camp and like Nook, Roland said that she checks in but she hadn’t since your latest assignment for the Im--Rumple.”

Alice rolls her eyes at the hasty change when talking about the Dark One but not even the flash of amusement over the once rival villains ‘roller coaster fights’ as Robin called them could put off her growing worry over the safety of her crush.

Robin’s ears perk up at the nervous hitch in Alice’s breathing. “Maybe---”

“then after ‘Ginna finished talking with Roland she tried Snow and Emma to see if Robin decided to spend a few days back in Storybrooke you know while we were all away.” Zelena goes on, unlike her daughter she hadn’t yet picked up on Alice’s growing panic even when said fear made the teacup Alice was handling rattle loudly in its saucer as she set the drink on the table.

“Alice, what happened to your hand?”

Zelena’s question tugged Alice out of her darkening thoughts over just what could have happened to the woman she found herself falling in love with. “Oh that.” She laughed her tone too breathless even to her own ears as she thinks about the stubborn headed, grey-eyed, arrow pointing, spy accusing, brilliant yet infuriating reason for her clumsiness.

“I cut myself making supper.” Alice admits whilst Zelena’s hand cradled her own leaving Alice to continue her inner pining for a woman who she knew full well only saw her as a good friend whilst Alice, herself wanted to be something more.

“Do you have a first aid kit?” Alice’s head tilted to one side at the unfamiliar word. “you’re medical supplies.” Zelena clarifies with an apologetic half-smile. The response was so like Robin’s Alice has to consciously remind herself not to swoon over it as Zelena keeps speaking to her. “I want to be sure it’s not infected in any way before I use magic to heal it for you.”

“The cabinet under the sink.” The dazed blonde informs her struggling to calm her heart rate while phantom memories of grey eyes and cocky grins continue painting themselves in the inside of her eyes.

Alice had already lost count of the times she’d sneak down to the clearing Robin used for target shooting just to get a glimpse of that tantalizing determined look Alice was positive Robin didn’t even know she would get whenever she took aim at her target.

“Alice? Darling are you alright?”

“Huh?” Alice mumbles then her face colors up in embarrassment when she realizes she had been unintentionally swooning to the images in her head while Robin’s mother tended to her hand. She hadn’t even felt the initial sting she could now as the alcohol seeped into the cut under the fresh wrappings Zelena had wound around her hand.

As quietly as she could Robin drags her beaten body toward the pair while her mother was distracted. She couldn’t see them properly anymore but thanks to her new heightened hearing Robin could pick up on the fact that Alice’s heart rate was too high for the fox-formed archer’s liking.

Two more days Robin is stuck like this. Two more days of watching her family and the girl who’d unknowingly run away with her heart worry themselves sick over her apparent vanishing act. If she had only known Alice would be coming back that day she would have waited to use that silly potion.

“Oh, hello there,” Zelena says spotting the injured animal limping over. The fox’s ears pressed against its head completely ignoring the second of the two women sitting at the table as it noses its muzzle against Alice’s side to get her attention.

“Vix, you should be resting.” Alice sighed her fingers carding through the soft fur between her new friend’s ears triggering a low sigh from the animal.

Later Robin will remember being more than a little self-conscious at the happy purr Alice’s touch brought from her fox throat but for now as long as she could do something to lessen the salty muck of fear in Alice’s scent she would gladly take a little embarrassment as she presses her cheek even more against Alice’s palm.

“I’m guessing this was the destruction.” Zelena guesses her eyes widening just a little at the sheer size of what should have been an ordinary vixen fox.

“She is.” Alice nodes reaching down to tenderly lift the insistent creature into her lap. “I couldn’t just—” angry tears stung Alice’s eyes as she tosses the blade, she’d taken from the female hunter the table between them “trophy hunters near your farm.” Was all the explanation Zelena needed as the mother’s hand to close around Alice’s own not allowing for her to pull it away.

“I’m sure Robin will understand why you didn’t stop by.”

Both women chuckle when the golden furred vixen begins chittering in earnest now as if in agreement as it continuously nuzzles its muzzle against Alice’s neck as if in thanks.

“Actually, I first thought she might have been one of your newer additions to the farm that had just gotten loose.”

Zelena shakes her head with a warm chuckle, “No although I wouldn’t mind having her around so long as she kept the rodent problem down.”

There was something about the shade of the animal’s pelt she couldn’t quite place, yet she knew it was familiar to her. Different shades of yellows and gold in contrast to the dusted black strip of fur like a dark braid running along the fox’s back much like an agouti coloring on a wolf. if only she had some better lighting or ideally the creature would look her way so she could see it better, but given how wrapped up it seemed to be in soothing Alice’s lingering upset Zelena knew she wasn’t going to have much luck in that.

“Robin may have some competition.” The mother chuckled under her breath watching in amusement as the fox’s blonde furred ears twisted in her direction. If she didn’t know any better Zelena would swear she heard a far too human snort of laughter at the idea coming from the animal’s throat.

“Vix isn’t going to be up to hunting for a while on that leg of hers.” Alice counters picking out a few still warmed bits of meat from the ignored bowls of stew to slip to her recovering new friend. She would need the distraction as she explained and going by the even louder purring her offering earned Vix wasn’t going to complain as long as the food kept being offered. “the snare she was tangled in wasn’t a very good one, but it was enough to do some pretty decent damage.”

Zelena’s eyes fall back to the hunting knife then move toward the wrappings incasing the fox’s right front leg. “Poor dear.” she sympathizes earning a startled yip of surprise when she reached over to run her fingers over what she could reach of the animal’s back.

“No animal I’ve encountered ever sounding like she did.” Alice’s voice was barely above a whisper now her chin lifting allowing Robin’s head better access to snuggled against her shoulder in comfort as Alice’s hands twist a little deeper in the warm fur of Robin’s back. “I’m just upset with myself for not finding her sooner.”

The soft lick of a tongue against the shell of her ear follows her pained words so quick that Alice almost misses it if it hadn’t been for the added tickling graze of the fox’s muffle along the underside of her jaw. So soft it could almost be mistaken for the grazing brush of a hand.

Robin immediately freezes up when the hand Alice wasn’t holding her with drops allowing her fingers to curl in a vice around the edges of her chair. The cords of her neck tighter now against the side of the fox’s dipped head. Her pulse quickening and unless Robin was mistaken she could swear she picked up the first telltale hits of arousal mixing with Alice’s other distinct flavors.

“It’s getting late.” Zelena comments also noticed Alice’s distant posture “Robin may be home by now and all this fuss would be for nothing.” She muses

“All for nothing.” Alice echoes her fingers still absently sliding in the fox’s fur. Then she blinks and a much more present, yet puzzled expression replaces her previous dazed one. “I’m sorry Zelena what were you saying? I wasn’t paying attention.”

Zelena chuckles under her breath waving away Alice’s embarrassed pouting “Not to worry darling, you’ve had quite the adventure today it’s alright to be a little out of it.”

“Here at least take some stew along for when you get home.” The blonde offers standing up a little too quickly that Vix was almost dumped onto the floor if she hadn’t steadied the poor fox at the last second. “I don’t think Robin will be very happy with me if I let you go magicking yourself back home this late without giving you something to eat.”

Robin could tell her mother was going to protest but she surprised the vixen when she agreed with a soft “Thank you, sweetheart.” As she helped the distracted Alice empty both stew bowls into one of the free plastic containers Robin had introduced her to during her teachings of “the ways of Storybrooke” as Alice jokingly called her interests in the more ‘modern’ styles.

“Now to sort out the sleeping arrangements.” Alice sighed carrying a sleepy Robin with her into the open concept living space across from the cottage’s kitchen after her own once again shared supper of a smaller portion of leftover rabbit and chicken stew.

The only thing keeping Robin from giving in to the thought of sleep was that lingering trace of arousal that had been growing steadily shaper since her mother’s departure.

“As long as you promise not to destroy it you can sleep on the sofa. In your nest of course.” Alice muses doing her level best to keep any and all of her more intimate thoughts of her currently missing archer from invading her mind but merciful tides she was a mess.

Robin could be in life-threatening danger at the moment, yet all Alice was able to think about was how wonderful it would be for her rogue archer to come strolling thought her door with all that ‘mean girl’ swagger she gets when showing off her far superior archery skills to any too dimwitted to challenge her with a cool excuse for her absence then moving to tell the dazed cottage owner sweet and above all completely honest declarations of her love before taking the weak-kneed pirate’s daughter to bed.

What started as mild traces were now honest waves of wildflower scented musk that threatened to drown a startled vixen alive on every breath she took.

 _Talk about ambrosia_ Robin’s more human mind sighed her tongue flicking out to wet her lips as she pulled in another subtle breath doing her best to burn the scent memory into her mind while a shaky handed Alice finished tucking her in to the mess of blankets now transferred from the floor to the end of the small sofa closest to the restarted fire in the fireplace.

“In case you want to move down if it gets too warm in the night.” Alice points out spreading out a few newer blankets in the small collection already piled on the sofa.

For a fleeting moment, Robin thinks Alice recognizes her going by her startled gasp after Alice’s ocean blue eyes finally meeting Robin’s grey-green ones properly for the first time since saving the fox formed archer’s life that very morning.

“ _Her_ eyes.” Was all Alice whispered before scrambling toward the curtained-off corner Robin already knew to be her bedroom with only a hastily added “Good night Vix.” Thrown in after the thin veil of a curtain was tugged back into place.

Robin does her level best to keep her eyes away from the separating screen as she heard the soft brush of each new layer of clothes being taken off. Her control wavers a few times when she’d catch a fresher wave of what she now knew to be Alice’s wildflower scented arousal but then Robin shakes her head and presses her nose even harder into a new corner of her blanket nest.

This was definitely going to be a long night.


	2. The Second Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second day will be split into two maybe three chapters

The sun hadn’t risen yet, but Robin could tell a new day had already begun when she next opened her eyes.

 _One down two to go_. She thinks starching out her fox-formed body with a sleepy yawn. It wasn’t until she’d finished with only a dull ache of pain from her leg that the waking vixen realized that whatever ointment Alice had used to clean the cuts, she’d gotten in her struggle with the huntress had been laced with magic. Robin gives a few more testing flexes just to be sure but each one brings the same dull ache proving her susceptions.

Thinking of the kindhearted blonde Robin takes a chance in hopping down from the sofa to the floor landing with only a little sliver of guilt as she pads over to the curtained-off corner of the cottage. Drawn there by the fading flavor of warmed wildflowers on the air making Robin’s more human mind want to swim a few laps in the artic to cool her just as wild thoughts while thanking whoever would listen the lingering traces of human arousal does nothing to excite her more animal body the longer, she lets the scent full her lungs and muddles her mind.

 _Just like a starfish_ Robin notes slipping past the thin vale to get her first glimpse of Alice’s room.

The blonde herself still lost to her dreams as she lay stretched out on her stomach her arms and legs curled over the edges of the mattress. Robin’s ears twitch as she pads closer catching each of Alice’s low snores as she nuzzles her face against her pillow in sleep.

Man, how the watching archer envied that unassuming bit of bedroom decoration.

“—obin,”

Every bit of fur Robin has stood on end as she freezes in place at the soft murmur coming from the bed. _Alice talks in her sleep how adorable. Wait how’d she known so quickly it really me as this fox; Will she be angry at my snooping? Why would she even be awake right now it’s far too early._ The quick secession of questions swirled in the vixen’s mind while the human shifts against the mattress.

“Robin.”

No mistaking this time. Her name was so clear, so soft on Alice’s sleepy voice. The eavesdropping vixen rears up onto her back legs resting her front against the edge of the bed for a better look at the unconscious blonde. The small window over Alice’s bed shows it’s beginning to lighten outside but Robin can’t find the will nor strength to pull herself away.

Alice looked so peaceful. So happy.

Ever so stealthily Robin hopes up onto the mattress only a little dazed by the mixed wildflower, citrus and forest pine flavors greeting her as she picks her way around Alice’s sprawled out limbs to take the corner of the kicked off quilt between her teeth dragging it back over the sleeping woman’s shoulders when Alice began shivering from the early morning chill. The fire having burnt itself out during the night and Alice wearing only the thinnest of night dresses. Not that Robin permitted herself to long of a look at her friend’s choice of sleepwear.

The sky outside lightens even more and still, Alice sleeps on.

Her tangled main of wheat-colored hair a messy golden halo around her head as she rolls over onto her back leading to some quick dodging from the watching fox standing on her bed.

Again, Robin’s human mind and animal instincts war as her stomach rumbles with early morning hunger. At the very least she should go make some kind of start on putting together some semblance of breakfast as a thank you to Alice for saving her life the other day.

“No. Stay.” Alice’s sleepy voice mumble as if she were able to hear the battle in Robin’s mind.

Against her more animal side Robin relents curling up against the edge of the mattress with her chin on her paws. _A few more minutes won’t kill me._ She reasons only to become enthralled with battling the end of her tail after it swipes across her nose when she made herself more comfortable making her lash out to attack like some young kitten who’d never seen its own tail before. The resulting mini acrobatic battle nearly causing Robin to both twist off the bed several times as well as almost cause enough commotion to wake the passed-out blonde she’d been quietly keeping watch over.

Robin’s stomach gurls soon after she’d decided to pause her little ‘tail bitty’ game, so with a gentle nuzzle to the sleeping blonde’s cheek Robin hops of the bed slipping past the separating curtain without so much a glance at the things surrounding the bed.

She is still holding out hope that someday soon (preferably when she was once again in her human body) she’ll be invited into this private space instead of intruding on it while its owner slept so she could take her time admiring the treasured trinkets Alice had chosen to surround herself with. But for the time being Robin had more pressing matters to think about; like figuring out what to do for breakfast and the much more intimidating matter of how she would put one together in her current animal state what Alice would enjoy.

*****

Maybe it’s the warmth of the sunlight coming through the high set window into her bedroom that finally roused her, or the soft tickling of fur against her fingers, the wet press of a nose against her palm.

A light thumping weight close to her side finally get the waking woman’s attention.

Was someone really trying to jump on her bed? It wasn’t that big of a bed mind. Just enough for its intended resident to rest in relative comfort. Something that Alice hoped would sometime soon include a certain bow-carrying, trap-setting young woman who’d been on her mind more and more since she’d first slipped so stealthily into Alice’s life.

A low huff of frustration and another mild thump of a compact yet muscled body intrigue, Alice, enough to crack her eyes open wondering what in the world was going on.

Vix was already halfway into the air in another attempt to rouse her. Her storm green eyes so like Robin’s it was kind of unnerving lock on Alice’s own the same time the golden furred fox starts falling back toward the bed with a soft yep of surprise.

“Practicing your pouncing, are you?” Alice yawns snatching the animal out of the air before she could land. Yet rather than show even the smallest hint of being upset with her action the fox seems to be pleased with the closeness, it brings “Are you always this playful in the morning?” the more human of the two chuckles carding her fingers through her sleep tousled hair as her new friend sets into the crook of her arm leting out a rather loud cross between a human sigh and an animal purr.

“Lucky for you its laundry day.” Alice chuckles noting for the first time the impressive dusting of dirt, grass, and animal fur dirtying the sheets as well as the going to be tricky to get out stains from the drying berry juice and animal blood staining the fox’s paws, pelt, and muzzle. “but you shouldn’t have gone out alone little one, you’re still healing up.”

Again, the vixen’s ears flattened somewhat in guilt with a soft whine as if in apology.

“Hey, it’s alright.” Alice soothes scratching her hand down the animal’s back. “I’m sorry I snapped.” She sighs “it’s just I’ve only known you an afternoon, but I---” Robin’s ears perked up at the hesitant sigh Alice gives as she looks away gathering her thoughts as her hands card thought the dirty blonde colored fur of Robin’s back before she speaks again only to shake her head. “enough talking I think how about instead let’s get you cleaned up yeah?”

Robin’s eyes peak up toward Alice’s as she nuzzles closer then turns her head toward the slightly pulled aside curtain giving off a better sightline toward the waiting meal Robin had managed to pull together resembling breakfast.

Mostly fresh berries and a rabbit Robin already feels guilty for snapping its neck with her teeth after a short chase in the underbrush.

“Looks like someone’s been busy this morning.” Alice muses the hand still resting against the fox’s back continuing to gently massage between the animal’s shoulders.

Robin gives a pleased grin or as much of one as her current form was able as she starts coaxing Alice from the bed.

“Aright but after breakfast, you’re getting a bath.” Alice bargained. If foxes could blush them Vix sure as heck was as she hops down from the bed.

*****

“Well, I guess that means the water is warm enough.” Alice chuckles coming back through the back door onto the small back deck soap bar in hand.

Rather than answer Robin chooses to duck back down under the warmth with only a little guilt that her enthusiasm sent a few splashes over the side of the tub.

“Come on goof stay still so I can clean this mess and get you cleaned up.” Alice sighed kneeling beside the washtub.

If she could Robin would have given a comedic gulp at the prospect still amazed with herself for allowing Alice to bath her regardless of the fact, she didn’t really have a choice considering the alternative was running around with her fur matted and itchy from the berry juices and poor bunny blood mixed into it. The dirt she found she didn’t mind as much. It gave her a sense of an added layer of camouflage between herself and those that sought to harm her.

She can’t pinpoint exactly when it started only that what seemed like minutes later Alice had begun humming a tune under her breath as her fingers work on gently scrubbing out the tangles and stains from Robin’s golden fur. Soon after it had changed from simply humming the tune to herself as she worked to singing along to the song in her head.

An old lullaby Robin notes already feeling her eyes beginning to close at the combination of the warmth of the water, Alice’s gentle angelic voice in her ears, and the soft caressing touches of hands along her pelt.

It wasn’t until Alice’s tender touches were replaced with the scratch brush of a towel that Robin opened her eyes again.

Her first shared bath with the woman she was crushing on and she slept through it.

“Easy does it.” Alice soothes misunderstanding Robin’s angry huff as she lifts the towel away allowing Robin the freedom to shake out the last of the water from her pelt herself. Almost as fun as shaking out her hair after a shower Robin muses.

“You kind of fell asleep on me.” Alice says as if Robin hadn’t known that already the amusement in her voice making Robin want to roll her eyes as she finds a sunny spot on the back deck to start warming away the dampness of her fur. “You were so cute I even made a few sketches for later to help me remember exactly how much.”

Robin gives a bashful look over her shoulder but decides not to make too much of a fuss about being the subject of Alice’s newest projects.

“Now how to bring you with me that no one would see---” Alice muses leading the way back inside the cottage, but Vix seems to have already spotted the very answer to the half former question. “Where are you off to now?” she wonders in a laugh when her furred companion makes in a hobbled run toward the opposite wall.

Granted it takes a few tries before Robin was able to knock the bag from the peg herself after whining and pouting away Alice’s offers to get it down for her once the clever blonde had realized what had so captivated Robin’s fox embodied mind but dang it if she doesn’t feel proud of herself afterward as she drags the thing back toward the table.

Her head and her tail held high in triumph.

******

“I was wondering where Robin’s old school bag went off to.” Zelena chuckled spotting the wild mess of blonde curls waiting for her down at the front gate.

Alice shifted the strap of the cloth and leather rucksack a little self-conscious. She knew the bag had been enchanted to either grow or shrink its interior capacities based on the owner’s desires, but she was still a little surprised it had held up to housing the larger than it seemed animal currently poking her head out the top at Zelena’s comment in a rather adorable imitation of a larger version of an annoyed-looking meerkat.

“Any word yet?” Alice questions.

Zelena seems to hesitate before she answers or rather before she finds a way to dodge the question. “Rumple stopped by to help. He’s still up at the house if you want to go say hello.” She comments already holding out her hand for the satchel Alice had yet to stop hugging tightly against her chest after removing it from her back after she’d been let in. “I’ll make sure your ‘hem’ new friend is taken care of.” Zelena promises when Alice’s arms instinctively pull the pack closer against her front.

Robin feels her ears already flattening against her skull at the wording of the offer and when she risks peeking up to be sure she can tell from the look in her eyes her mother knows full well about her little quick-change stunt.

“Whatcha think Vix?” Alice asks shifting the pack enough to free her left hand enough to scratch at the scruff of Robin’s neck immediately getting the scared huntress to relax just a little bit into the touch. “Wanna stay with Zelena and stretch your legs a bit or stay tucked in there a little longer and come with me to meet another of my friends?”

Already resigned to her fate Robin made a bit of a show in tilting her head toward her mother rather than staying curled up as close as she could get to Alice.

“Alrighty then.” Alice smiles not at all aware of the turmoil swirling in Robin’s stomach as the citrus-scented blonde leans in to press a soft kiss between her eyes as she passed over the rucksack “I know what everyone says but she really is nice Vix.” She tries to soothe sending Zelena a playful wink that had Robin’s mother smirking to catch.

At least she’d waited for Alice’s retreating footfalls to completely fade away before she rounded on her cowering daughter as Zelena begin to kneel to place the repurposed book bag on the ground at her feet.

“You may be an adult so this can’t be _legally_ enforced but you are _so_ grounded once you're back to your normal human self young lady.” The former Wicked Witch says over the sounds of the mettle teeth of the zipper being tugged down the sides to let Robin out of the confines of the bag.

Robin’s head dropped in shame as she hopes out only to be snatched up in a tight hug by her mother a beat later. “Just next time you decide to test out some species changing poison mind leaving your overbearing mother a note first, so I don’t have a mini heart attack thinking something horrible happened to you?” Zelena scolds fishing out the little bottle that had been the cause of all this trouble from the pocket of her apron. "You know how dangerous these are?"

It wasn’t until her mother’s eyes find hers that Robin realizes that pained whimpering whine had been from her as she nuzzles her muzzle against the curve of her mother’s shoulder.

Robin doesn’t give her mother time to say anything as she attacks her with apologetic kisses and loving nuzzles.

“I'm still angry but I’ve already decided to forgive you monkey,” Zelena promised having a bit of a flashback to the times when human robin had been small enough that she could be so easily carried around as her arms naturally supported the added bulk of Robin’s current animal body as she straightens up again. "Just scared me half out of my mind for a little while." she sighed "Also gave me a few more grey hairs as well I think." she laughs slinging the strap of her daughter’s school back over her other shoulder.

“Now come on no telling what that Imp is scheming at.”

Robin gives a foxish giggle at that resting her head against her mother’s shoulder as she was carried back toward the house.


End file.
